Gyeongbuk National University Leaves '50 Seats'... Can Jeonnam-Gwangju Medical School Be Revived?

Hopes Rise for Allocation of Remaining Seats in Jeonnam and Gwangju Amid Crisis

Government’s Final Decision in the Spotlight

"40% Unable to Reach ER Within 30 Minutes"

Indicators Reveal the Stark Reality of Healthcare Collapse

With Gyeongbuk National University applying for only 50 out of the 100 new medical school seats allocated by the government—exactly half—the plan to establish a new national medical school in Jeonnam and Gwangju, which had faced a crisis due to a "half-completed application," now sees a turning point and a chance at revival.

In particular, as the continued outflow of critical patients from the Jeonnam and Gwangju regions and the poor state of emergency medical infrastructure have once again been confirmed by indicators from the Bank of Korea, calls to allocate the remaining 50 seats to Jeonnam and Gwangju to prevent a collapse of local healthcare have strengthened.

View of Mokpo National University and Suncheon National University.

According to the education sector on August 24, Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongbuk National University wrote in their plan submitted to the Ministry of Education on August 20 that they would set the new medical school seat allocation at 50. This was a realistic decision, considering the planned size of the affiliated university hospital and the time needed to train medical staff. As a result, there is now 'mathematical room' for 50 seats among the total assigned by the government.

This development has provided a dramatic turning point for Jeonnam and Gwangju, which were at risk of being excluded. Previously, the integrated special city formed by Jeonnam and Gwangju submitted an incomplete application without a key agreement, due to the collapse of the planned merger between Mokpo National University and Suncheon National University. However, with room now available in the government’s allocation, expectations are rising that the remaining seats may be assigned to Jeonnam and Gwangju—regions still without a medical school.

A report released the same day by the Gwangju and Jeonnam branch of the Bank of Korea, titled "Analysis of Medical Service Usage in Jeonnam and Gwangju," suggests that establishing a medical school in these regions is not just a longstanding local desire but a matter of survival.

According to the report, the total number of hospital beds per 1,000 people in Gwangju (27.5 beds) and Jeonnam (22.9 beds) is relatively high compared to other regions. However, the number of beds at 'advanced general hospitals'—which handle severe conditions—stood at just 1.3 per 1,000 people in Gwangju and 0.4 per 1,000 in Jeonnam, far below the national average. The number of specialists working at these advanced general hospitals is also critically low.

Especially alarming is that medical accessibility in Jeonnam ranked the worst among the country’s nine provinces. The proportion of the population unable to reach an advanced general hospital within 180 minutes reached 8.9%, while the proportion unable to reach a regional emergency medical center within 30 minutes was the highest in the nation at 40.1%.

This poor infrastructure is directly causing "medical tourism"—patients seeking treatment outside the region. In Gwangju, the inflow rate of patients from other areas (36.9%) is higher than the outflow rate (17.2%). In contrast, 41.0% of patients in Jeonnam are leaving for treatment elsewhere, with only 12.9% coming in from outside.

An education policy expert commented, "Ultimately, the final decision on the allocation of the remaining 50 seats, which lies with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, holds the key to resolving a 36-year-old regional aspiration and the survival of local healthcare," adding, "The 100-seat ceiling established by the government is the maximum possible. Using the remaining seats in line with the policy’s intent is the reasonable course of action."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.